Rich Lessons

Tony Gaskins was a life coach before most people knew what the word meant online. He's a bestselling author of more than 20 books, he's built a community of more than 3.5 million followers, and he's mentored hundreds of professional athletes across the NBA, NFL and college sports.We've known Tony for years, going back to our days of working with pro athletes, so this one felt like catching up with an old friend who also happens to say the quiet part out loud.We got into all of it. How a book he wrote at 22 led to Oprah and Tyra, why he says nine out of ten clients still come to him about relationships, why men wait until it's too late to call, and why he'll tell you the truth even when you don't want it.We also talked about the part nobody likes to admit: who is actually qualified to give relationship advice, why he says Black men sharing wisdom get side-eyed, and how to tell a real coach from a scammer.If you've ever wondered who's worth listening to, or if you're building someone else's dream while yours waits, this one is for you.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━WHAT WE GET INTO▸ How we know Tony: the pro athlete world and Baton Rouge▸ From a book at 22 to Oprah, Tyra and Twitter▸ The Alicia Keys retweet that blew up his quotes▸ The Maserati that made a generation of men think relationship advice was the money▸ Where his money actually came from: ghostwriting and author consulting▸ Why he says a married relationship coach is rare, and why that matters▸ Coaching vs. therapy: where the line is and when he "fires" a client▸ Do Black coaches get judged harder? Who gives them the most trouble: men or women?▸ The pound of cure vs. the ounce of prevention: why men wait too long▸ The Destiny app: no swiping, and the 3 Bs (brains, brand, body)▸ Why he changed his mind about dating apps after years of telling people to stay off them▸ Delusion, standards vs. preferences, and a very real debate about height▸ What women misunderstand about men, and what men misunderstand about women▸ Getting approached, stalkers, and why nobody gets approached anymore▸ His rich lesson: "If you don't build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs."━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━FOLLOW TONY GASKINSInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonygaskins/?hl=enYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TonyGaskins━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━RICH LESSONS PODCASTHosted by Sevetri Wilson Taylor and Sheena Allen🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBEApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-lessons/id1787798124Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40jGSUvVrMbxKcJ1ghE8kl▶️ WATCH & SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@RichLessonsPodcast📲 FOLLOW RICH LESSONSInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/richlessonspodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@richlessonspodcast

Jessica Johnson started bartending in 2008. Then she got laid off from her HR job in 2018 and realized, "I'm not clocking back in."Today she owns JusTini's, a New Orleans restaurant and cocktail bar in the Bywater. It opened in May 2023 and turned into a full restaurant because the demand pushed her there.Nobody told her what that would cost. Startup costs ran three to four times what she expected, and that was before the silverware, glassware and plates.We talked about all of it. The money, the staff, the customers, the reviews, and why she thinks Black-owned restaurants get judged harder. She's honest that she doesn't know why, and just as honest that "we're hard on our own people."If you've ever said "I should open a restaurant," or you're the customer who writes the review before talking to the manager, watch this one first.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━WHAT WE GET INTO▸ From bartending at Southern University to getting laid off from HR▸ The moment she knew she wasn't clocking back in▸ How JusTini's went from cocktail bar to full restaurant▸ Why startup costs run 3 to 4 times what you think▸ The hidden costs: silverware, glassware and plates▸ Being stuck between mom-and-pop and corporate expectations▸ Why Black-owned restaurants seem to get harsher reviews▸ Posting the complaint online vs. talking to the manager▸ Why tipping was never fair, and why she uses an automatic 18% gratuity▸ Why she won't give free food to everyone who asks▸ Turnover, especially in the back of the house▸ How motherhood changed what success means to her▸ Her rich lesson: your brand is your brand, down to the capital "T" and the red lip━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━FOLLOW Jessica JohnsonJusTini's: https://justinisnola.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinisnola/3162 Dauphine Street, New Orleans (Bywater)JusTini's CocktailsCrash Course Bartending AcademyI Am Mommy Boss━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━RICH LESSONS PODCASTHosted by Sevetri Wilson Taylor and Sheena Allen🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBEApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-lessons/id1787798124Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40jGSUvVrMbxKcJ1ghE8kl▶️ WATCH & SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@RichLessonsPodcast📲 FOLLOW RICH LESSONSInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/richlessonspodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@richlessonspodcast

Gambling is everywhere now, and you don't have to leave your house to do it. 🎰 Sports betting apps, Polymarket, casino games on your phone: in this episode we're asking where the line actually is, and who's getting paid while the rest of us decide.We grew up hearing "we're going to the boat." Now the casino is in your pocket, and your favorite athlete is probably telling you to download it. 📲In this episode of Rich Lessons, we get real about:🎲 Why the old casino felt different from betting apps, and why the new version is harder to see🎲 Polymarket and betting on EVERYTHING: games, politics, the weather, and whether someone posts today🎲 Sports betting addiction and how easy it is to hide when it all happens on your phone🎲 The double standard: players and referees get banned or even jailed for betting, while leagues, ESPN, and sponsors promote the odds. In our view, that's the league selling the very thing it punishes🎲 What casinos do to keep you playing (there's a reason there are no windows)🎲 How being broke can make "what's the worst that can happen?" sound like a plan🎲 Our own stories: a college friend who couldn't stop, a lottery ticket mission in LA, and a woman asking strangers for gas money to get home🎲 Where WE draw the lineReal talk: we're not here to tell anyone how to spend their money. A $20 scratch-off or a blackjack game once in a while? That's your business. But when it's your savings, your family, or your last $20, that's a problem, and we think it's worth talking about out loud.💬 Where do you draw the line? Tell us in the comments. Is online betting just entertainment, or has it gone too far?If gambling is hurting you or someone you love, you're not alone. Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER (the National Problem Gambling Helpline) or visit ncpgambling.org.

The WNBA is making headlines, but is women's basketball getting the respect it deserves?

This week on Rich Takes, Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor break down the controversy surrounding the Atlanta Dream, Atlanta Hawks, and WNBA Finals, from arena scheduling drama to a promotional poster that had everyone asking: Who approved this?

Plus, we're talking fall TV premieres, the return of Law & Order: SVU, a new take on Carrie, and our recent trip to South Carolina for a gathering hosted by Rihanna's Clara Lionel Foundation.

In this week's quick takes:

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WNBA controversy: Are women's sports still being treated as an afterthought?

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Atlanta Hawks backlash and the business of women's basketball

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Fall TV premieres, Law & Order: SVU, and Carrie

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Rihanna's Clara Lionel Foundation and supporting communities across the South

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A quick shoutout to our latest Rich Lessons episode on Black farming, food, and the great oxtail debate

Rich Takes is the weekly hot takes series from Rich Lessons, bringing you quick, candid conversations on the latest in business, technology, money, entertainment, and culture.

New episodes weekly. Follow Rich Lessons on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and join the conversation on social media.

🎧 New Rich Lessons episodes weekly on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts
📲 Follow @richlessonspodcast on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn & Facebook

What does it really take to run a successful farm today? Wayne Swanson Jr. breaks down the money, mistakes, and unfiltered truths behind your food.

Wayne started with a cabbage plant from his son's school project. Almost two decades later, it's Swanson Family Farm LLC, an organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised beef operation in Georgia, plus a consultancy that works with farms across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.In this episode of Rich Lessons, Sevetri and Sheena sit down with Farmer Wayne for the real conversation about the business of Black farming, not the nostalgia version of it.THE BUSINESS + THE MONEY- Why he says farming has to run like a business, not a memory- Losing $200,000, the 401(k) mistake, and what he changed- How he sells whole, half, quarter and eighth cows, and why he won't sell a single pound of ground beef- What happened to his sales when the beef recalls and grocery prices hit- The truck wrap that changed how he sells, and the Rich Lesson behind itTHE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR FOOD- Why he says marbling is marketing- Oxtails vs. neck bones: did we even grow up on oxtails?- How to tell a real farm egg from a store-bought one- What a clean farm should smell like- Why you shouldn't pull up to a farm uninvitedTHE LAND + THE SYSTEM- Growing up between his grandparents' 10-acre farm and a New Jersey suburb- The front-yard garden, the HOA visit, and how he ended up on his first farm- Why he says a lot of successful Black farmers went direct to their customers- What he's building nextThese are Wayne's opinions and experiences, from someone who has lived this for years. Take what's useful.Find Swanson Family Farm on all platforms and at swansonfamilyfarmllc.comWhich side are you on, oxtails or neck bones? Tell us in the comments.#RichLessons #BlackFarmers #BusinessOfFarming #SwansonFamilyFarm #BlackOwnedBusiness #FarmToTable

A lot of people don't know that. They hear the accordion and the washboard and picture a little short white man on a stage somewhere. Gabrielle Deculus has been correcting that assumption her whole career — and she's got the receipts, because her great-grandfather is Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin, one of the first Black musicians ever recorded in the South and one of the people who shaped Creole and zydeco into what we know today.Now she runs the NOLA Zydeco Fest, and she's building the next chapter of what her family started.We got the whole history lesson. What Creole actually means (hint: not a seasoning, not a complexion). Why not every Creole is Cajun but every Cajun is Creole. How the washboard came into it and why that part isn't Cajun at all. And why there's a zydeco club in Japan but folks in Louisiana still think it's white people music.But Gabbi isn't just a culture keeper — she's a businesswoman. She runs St. Josephine, her consulting firm. She's worked on productions connected to Live Nation, Beyoncé and Kanye West. She built Business Rules for Women into a community of 200,000+. She chaired Step Up Louisiana when they got New Orleans city workers to a $15 minimum wage. And she just started AI for Lunch after walking into an AI training and realizing — again — she was the only Black woman in the room.So we got into the money too. What festivals actually cost. Why everybody's suddenly mad about paying for them. Why sponsors are harder this year. And the rule she lives by: never put up money you ain't willing to lose.🎃 NOLA ZYDECO FEST is October 31 + November 1 at Heritage Park in Slidell. Kids are free. Go get your tickets 👇🏾https://nolazydecofest.com━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━WHAT WE GET INTO▸ "Not every Creole is Cajun, but every Cajun is Creole"▸ What Creole actually means — and what people get wrong about it▸ Her great-grandfather Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin and the first Black recordings in the South▸ Why the washboard isn't Cajun — and who brought it in▸ How zydeco got labeled white people music▸ Why outsiders became the face of a music that isn't theirs▸ The zydeco club in Japan nobody talks about▸ Who people expect to see running a zydeco festival▸ Year 1 vs Year 6 of NOLA Zydeco Fest▸ What event production actually costs — and why faith is in the budget▸ "I try not to put up money I ain't willing to lose"▸ Why everybody's complaining about paying for festivals now▸ Studying abroad in Seoul and realizing she could do anything▸ "I never went and sought out a job. I am the job."▸ Building Business Rules for Women — and what's coming in 2027▸ Walking into an AI training as the only Black woman in the room▸ Data centers, Cancer Alley, and the catch-22 nobody wants to name▸ Rest is resistance — and the 1 AM texts Sheena needs to stop sending▸ Her rich lesson: keep evolving━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━FOLLOW GABRIELLENOLA Zydeco Fest: https://nolazydecofest.comInstagram: @nolazydecofestivalSt. Josephine | Business Rules for Women | AI for Lunch━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━RICH LESSONS PODCASTHosted by Sevetri Wilson Taylor and Sheena Allen🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBEApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-lessons/id1787798124Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40jGSUvVrMbxKcJ1ghE8kl▶️ WATCH & SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@richlessonspodcast📲 FOLLOW RICH LESSONSInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/richlessonspodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@richlessonspodcast

Should your wealthy best friend pay for you to fly first class?

This week on Rich Takes, Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor jump into the viral debate surrounding Savannah James and April McDaniel traveling in different classes on an international flight. If you have the money, should your best friend be sitting in first class with you, or is no one entitled to someone else’s wealth?

That opens up a bigger conversation about friendship, money, the difference between being rich and being wealthy, and what generosity looks like when the financial gap between friends is huge.

Then, Sheena and Sevetri talk about the growing number of food recalls and the question many consumers are asking: what is actually safe to eat?

Plus, they take on the viral “worth the money” debate. From first-class flights and comfortable shoes to DoorDash, house managers, childcare, personal chefs, trainers, travel, and executive assistants, what purchases genuinely make life better—and which luxuries are actually worth paying for?

Rich Takes is the weekly hot-takes series from Rich Lessons, where Sheena and Sevetri break down the trending conversations in money, business, culture, lifestyle, and everything people are debating online.

New Rich Takes every Thursday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-lessons/id1787798124

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40jGSUvVrMbxKcJ1ghE8kl?si=9666ca84559c4e16

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richlessonspodcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richlessonspodcast/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@richlessonspodcast

If you're building something right now, this is the episode we wish we had when we started.Between the two of us we've bootstrapped, raised millions, run venture-backed companies, and started all over again. And every single one of those seasons came with a lesson we had to learn the hard way.So we sat down and went through them. The real ones.Whether you can actually protect your peace while you're launching (one of us thinks soft life is a lie). How to take a no without taking it personally, and why you should never screenshot an investor's rejection and post it. The email that turned a no into a yes in two hours. Why money just helps you make mistakes faster if you don't know how to use it. Why people buy outcomes, not features. And the call Sevetri will never reschedule.Whether you're running a startup, a restaurant, a service business, or you're still figuring out the idea, this one applies to you.Tell us which lesson hit the hardest 👇🏾━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━WHAT WE GET INTO▸ Protecting your greatest asset: you▸ Is soft life actually possible when you're launching?▸ Why Sevetri doesn't do 3 AM calls anymore (and Sheena still does)▸ Taking a no personally vs professionally▸ The founder "anti-list" — yes, we remember every no▸ The email that turned an investor's no into a yes in two hours▸ Please don't screenshot your investor rejection on LinkedIn▸ "$500K is a lot of money… until you raise it"▸ The art of the follow-up (even when you don't need anything)▸ Cash is oxygen — and why capital helps you make mistakes faster▸ People buy outcomes, not features▸ Delegation, firing fast, and why the CEO role changes every year▸ Mentors vs sponsors — and the no-show that ended it before it started▸ Hiring for your weakness until it becomes your superpower━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEOur episode with Deb Grant: https://youtu.be/myAw1Xy6kJE━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━RICH LESSONS PODCASTHosted by Sevetri Wilson Taylor and Sheena Allen🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBEApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40jGSUv...▶️ WATCH & SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@richlessonsp...📲 FOLLOW RICH LESSONSInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/richlessons...TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@richlessonspo...━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━#RichLessons #EntrepreneurLessons #StartupAdvice #FounderLessons #Entrepreneurship #Fundraising #SmallBusiness #WomenFounders #Networking #Mentorship #BusinessPodcast #FounderMindset #CEOLife

Are we in a recession, or are the warning signs already showing up in everyday life?

In this episode of Rich Takes, Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor break down the economic headlines raising some serious questions about where things are headed.

First up: Atlanta’s surge in evictions. With eviction filings climbing and Black renters disproportionately affected, Sheena and Sevetri discuss whether rising evictions, credit card debt, job losses, housing costs, and financial pressure are signs of deeper cracks in the U.S. economy, especially for the middle class and Black households.

Then, the conversation turns to Washington: Should elected officials be allowed to actively trade investments while in office? The hosts react to recent headlines surrounding Donald Trump’s securities trading activity and the broader, long-running debate over members of Congress trading while having access to information and decisions that can move markets.

And what about that “$5,000 check”? Sheena and Sevetri discuss the proposal, why consumers shouldn’t count on money that hasn’t materialized, and what economic promises can look like when households are already feeling squeezed.

From Atlanta’s eviction crisis and recession warning signs to debt, the disappearing middle class, political stock trading, and the proposed $5,000 checks, this week’s Rich Takes asks a bigger question: What is the economy actually telling us right now?

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Rich Takes is the hot-takes mini-series from Rich Lessons, where Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor unpack the headlines everyone is talking about across money, business, entrepreneurship, technology, culture, entertainment, lifestyle, and politics.

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Follow Rich Lessons on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube for more conversations and clips.

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-lessons/id1787798124

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40jGSUvVrMbxKcJ1ghE8kl?si=9666ca84559c4e16

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richlessonspodcast

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Carrita Cloud is the founder and CEO of Creativity Justified, the agency behind work for the NFL, Microsoft, Delta, Ochsner Health, the Saints and the Pelicans. Inc. named her to the 2025 Female Founders 500. Her team has managed over $800 million in advertising dollars.She started it in a closet. Seven months pregnant, just fired, insurance gone, cold calling and cold emailing people who mostly said no.We got into all of it — the systems she built when it was still just her, how she actually got in the room with the NFL, and what COVID did to her retainers when it was still a small business agency.But the part that stopped us cold was the pricing story. She bid $25,000 on a contract. Another Black woman on the other side called her and said if I submit this, they'll think you're a joke. The lowest competing bid was $125,000.If you've ever wondered whether you're charging enough, this one is for you 🎧━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━WHAT WE GET INTO▸ Getting fired at 7 months pregnant and starting over the next morning▸ The department emails she made up when it was still only her▸ Why you need degrees of separation between you and your clients▸ Building 100+ email templates before hiring anybody▸ "We invite people into our chaos, then get mad when they fail in chaos"▸ Why most people's VA experience goes wrong▸ How she actually got to $800 million in managed ad spend▸ Pitching the NFL on a webinar — and it going all the way to Roger Goodell▸ What COVID did to her retainers, and the pivot that saved the agency▸ The $25K bid vs the $125K bid▸ Why she took pricing off her website▸ Advice for anyone leaving corporate right now▸ "I love my family too much to ever hire them"▸ Niceness vs kindness, and why her team is not a family▸ The two hires she'd make again every single time▸ How to actually get in front of Fortune 500 clients▸ Her rich lesson: the money conversation nobody has with new founders━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━FOLLOW CARRITA CLOUDCreativity Justified━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━RICH LESSONS PODCASTHosted by Sevetri Wilson Taylor and Sheena Allen🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBEApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40jGSUv...▶️ WATCH & SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE/ @richlessonspodcast📲 FOLLOW RICH LESSONSInstagram: / richlessonspodcastTikTok: / richlessonspodcast━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━#RichLessons #BlackWomenInBusiness #AgencyLife #Pricing #KnowYourWorth #Entrepreneurship #MarketingAgency #BlackEntrepreneurs #WomenFounders #SmallBusiness #BusinessSystems #NFL #BusinessPodcast #FounderStory #Fortune500

Everybody wants to tell you about scaling and Series A. Nobody sits down and says, "Here's what it actually costs to get one person helping you when you have almost nothing."

So that's what this one is. Between the two of us, we've done it every way there is — freelancers, contractors, offshore, W-2, fractional, all of it. Some of it worked. Some of it cost us money we didn't have.

We're giving you real numbers. Real mistakes. The rules we follow now because we learned them the hard way.

Sheena tells the story about the freelancer who had one of HER OWN apps sitting in their portfolio. That one still gets us.

We also got into whether your first hire can just be an AI agent in 2026, and we don't fully agree on it. Let us know where you land.

If you're building with a small budget right now, this one's for you.

WHAT WE GET INTO
▸ Where we actually find freelancers, and which sites we prefer
▸ Offshoring vs outsourcing — people use these wrong all the time
▸ The 3 AM problem nobody warns you about with offshore work
▸ Why we don't fully trust 5-star ratings anymore
▸ How to vet a portfolio (including reaching out to their past clients cold)
▸ The freelancer who had Sheena's own app in their portfolio
▸ Milestones, escrow, and the upfront payment rule that saves people thousands
▸ Real numbers: what engineers and designers cost right now, here and offshore
▸ Why 2021 was the wildest hiring year either of us has seen
▸ When fractional work makes sense — and when it doesn't
▸ How much runway you need before you make a real hire
▸ What a W-2 employee actually costs (it's not the salary)
▸ Can your first hire be an AI agent? We go back and forth on this one
▸ Why the moat isn't tech anymore
▸ Our richest lessons: fire fast, and the order you hire in matters

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RICH LESSONS PODCAST
Hosted by Sevetri Wilson Taylor and Sheena Allen

LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

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WATCH & SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE

https://www.youtube.com/@richlessonspodcast

FOLLOW RICH LESSONS

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#RichLessons #HiringOnABudget #Freelancers #Upwork #Offshoring #StartupAdvice #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness #Bootstrapping #FounderMindset #WomenInBusiness #BusinessPodcast #FractionalWork

Dr. Alicia Reed is a pharmacist. She spent 20 years telling other people how to take care of their health. Then her husband died of a massive heart attack at 43, four days before Christmas — and she became a widow overnight at 40, with a four-year-old.Then the pandemic hit. She was on the frontline as a healthcare provider while her own blood pressure was dangerously out of control.It took her son asking "Mommy, are you going to die too?" for her to actually stop.We talked about all of it. Grief, burnout, food, the health stuff nobody's checking on, and the generational curse that says strong women don't get to rest. She also learned how to swim at 46 — in six days — and that story alone is worth the watch.If you're the person everybody depends on, this one is for you.WHAT WE GET INTO▸ Who NOLA Bougie was, and how she became Dr. Reed▸ Losing her husband four days before Christmas▸ Grieving in public while raising a grieving four-year-old▸ Why rest got turned into something you have to earn▸ How burnout actually shows up — inflammation, autoimmune flares, blood pressure▸ "Who takes care of the person everyone else depends on?"▸ Why she says it's women, not men, skipping the doctor▸ Two stories about what happens when you wait too long to get checked▸ Food as medicine: reading labels, the ginger ale that shocked us, and what to actually look for▸ Eating well when you live in a food desert▸ The health insurance benefits you're paying for and never using▸ The health trend that worries her most right now▸ Learning to swim at 46 after being thrown in as a child▸ Rapid fire: time vs energy, boundaries vs discipline, and which is harder — success or healingFOLLOW DR. ALICIA REED - https://www.instagram.com/DrAlishaReed/Your Self-Care Prescription LLCFly Widow Podcasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/536vGTR2zWrh17VcUtX5JIRICH LESSONS PODCASTHosted by Sevetri Wilson Taylor and Sheena Allen🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBEApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-lessons/id1787798124Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40jGSUvVrMbxKcJ1ghE8kl▶️ WATCH & SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@RichLessonsPodcast📲 FOLLOW RICH LESSONSInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/richlessonspodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@richlessonspodcast━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━#RichLessons #BlackWomensHealth #HeartHealth #SelfCare #Burnout #BlackWomenPodcast #Grief #Widowhood #FoodIsMedicine #WomensHealth #Pharmacist #HighBloodPressure #BlackWomenInBusiness #Wellness #PreventativeHealth

Dolly Parton is gone, Gary, Indiana has been without power for weeks, and New York City is trying to fight rising grocery prices with city-run supermarkets. Meanwhile, a controversial surrogacy case has turned into a legal and cultural battle over parental rights, abortion, and who gets to make medical decisions for a child.

Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor break down the biggest stories in business, culture, politics, and society—from Dolly Parton’s complicated legacy and the power grid crisis to the fight over NYC’s grocery stores and the viral surrogate custody case making headlines.

In this episode:
• Dolly Parton’s death, philanthropy, and her legendary responses to Whitney Houston and Beyoncé covering her music
• Why Gary, Indiana went weeks without power—and why so few people were talking about it
• Memphis’ massive power outage and questions about America’s aging power grid
• New York City’s plan for city-run grocery stores with lower prices
• Why bodega owners are fighting the plan
• The bizarre and controversial surrogacy case involving a seriously ill baby
• The growing debate over surrogacy, parental rights, and reproductive politics

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Is work-life balance a real concept, or is it something people say when they aren’t serious about their goals?

In this episode of Rich Lessons, hosts Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor pull back the curtain on the reality of modern entrepreneurship, wealth, and scaling a business. Drawing from three stacks of unfiltered questions—Professional, Personal, and Rapid Fire—they break down the sacrifices, mindset shifts, and hard choices required to succeed at the highest level.

Key Topics Included:

• The Myth of Work-Life Balance: Why high-stakes goals demand a different level of output.
• Founder Non-Negotiables: Maintaining board control, avoiding hyper-preferred rights, and lessons from building in fintech.
• Hustle Culture vs. Real Hustle: The line between being a true operator and falling for social media “gurus”.
• Managing & Hiring: Why treating your team like “family” is a trap, plus the truth about hiring friends.
• Wealth vs. Freedom: Why money doesn’t always equal peace and how to avoid being rich and miserable.

If you’re building a business, advancing your career, or looking for candid advice on wealth and modern lifestyle, tune in now.

Enjoying the show? Leave us a 5-star rating and review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Google reportedly acquired 34 years of enterprise data from Spirit Airlines, including more than 100 million emails, 500 million Microsoft messages, workflows, and code, for just $10 million. Is Big Tech getting a bargain on the data it needs to train AI?

This week on Rich Takes, Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor break down the biggest stories across tech, business, finance, and culture—including the growing race for valuable data, AI's impact on privacy and consumer pricing, algorithmic dynamic pricing, and Amazon's reported efforts to acquire rare books for AI training.

Plus, Equifax is paying $100 million to settle a class-action lawsuit after millions of consumers' credit information was reportedly misreported because of a coding glitch. The conversation goes deeper into why the credit scoring system may be outdated, and what happens when the financial system gets it wrong.

And yes, they also get into the wild Penn State fraternity cocaine-trafficking and hazing case that somehow flew under the radar.

In this episode:

• Google and the race to acquire valuable data for AI
• The $10 million enterprise-data deal
• AI, privacy, and the rise of dynamic pricing
• Why your search and purchase history could affect what you pay
• Equifax's $100 million credit score settlement
• Are credit scores outdated?
• The Penn State fraternity cocaine-trafficking case
• The stories flying under the radar this week

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Rich Takes is the weekly mini-episode, hot-take conversation from Rich Lessons, where Sheena and Sevetri unpack the week's biggest headlines across business, tech, finance, entertainment, lifestyle, and culture.

Listen to Rich Takes every week and subscribe to Rich Lessons for the full conversations.

Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-lessons/id1787798124⁠

Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/40jGSUvVrMbxKcJ1ghE8kl?si=9666ca84559c4e16⁠

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@richlessonspodcast⁠

Sevetri and Sheena sit down with firearms expert Bree Lee, founder of NOLA Fire and one of the few women leading firearms training in New Orleans, for an eye-opening conversation about women’s safety, self-defense, and personal protection.

As two entrepreneurs who travel solo for work constantly, this was a conversation they HAD to have. Bree breaks down what women should actually know to stay safe, from situational awareness and concealed carry to solo travel and rideshare safety, and shares why she’ll never take a rideshare again.

In this episode, we cover:

▸ Why Bree got into firearms training as a Black woman

▸ Concealed carry laws in Louisiana—and why firearms education matters

▸ Situational awareness and why it may be your most important self-defense tool

▸ Why Uber and Lyft can present safety risks

▸ Parking garage safety rules every woman should know

▸ How social media has quietly changed personal safety

▸ Solo travel safety tips for women on the go

▸ What every mother should teach her daughters about personal safety and self-defense

ABOUT BREE LEE & NOLA FIRE

Bree Lee is the founder of NOLA Fire, a New Orleans-based firearms training company providing firearms education, safety training, and certification.

FOLLOW BREE LEE

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nolafirearms

NOLA Fire: Firearms training & certification classes

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RICH LESSONS PODCAST

Hosted by Sevetri Wilson Taylor and Sheena Allen

🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

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AI is changing how we create, consume, and even trust information, and this week on Rich Takes, we’re talking about what that means for business, technology, entertainment, and culture.

Anthropic is rolling out watermarks for AI-generated text. Is this the beginning of a new era of AI transparency, or will people simply find new ways around it?

We also get into the iPhone 18, Apple’s rumored shift in its release strategy, and whether consumers still see enough innovation to justify upgrading every year.

Then, we jump into entertainment: Spotify is taking a stand against AI-generated music, labeling AI-created artists and keeping them out of recommendations. Is protecting human creativity the right move, or is AI simply the next evolution of how music gets made?

We also talk about what we’re actually watching, why Apple TV+ has some of the best shows nobody seems to be talking about, and the rise of short-form entertainment.

And just when we thought we were wrapping up, breaking news hits: the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly being sold for a record $12.5 billion.

Plus, it’s Black Business Month, so we’re talking about Black entrepreneurship, supporting Black-owned businesses, and why the conversation needs to go beyond simply starting businesses to building companies that scale.

In this episode:
• Anthropic’s AI watermarking and the future of AI transparency
• iPhone 18 and Apple’s changing upgrade strategy
• Spotify’s response to AI-generated music
• What’s actually worth watching right now
• Apple TV+’s surprisingly strong lineup
• The rise of AI in entertainment
• The $12.5B Lakers sale
• Black Business Month and the future of Black entrepreneurship

Rich Takes is the weekly hot-take conversation from Rich Lessons, covering the biggest stories in business, tech, finance, entertainment, and culture.

Subscribe, follow, and join the conversation. Stay rich.

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-lessons/id1787798124

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40jGSUvVrMbxKcJ1ghE8kl?si=9666ca84559c4e16

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richlessonspodcast

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This week on Rich Takes, we're unpacking three of the biggest conversations happening in business, tech, and culture.

We start with the backlash surrounding Black creators who attended OpenAI's exclusive creator retreat and ask a bigger question: When does accepting an invitation become endorsing a company? We discuss AI, data centers, representation, and whether creators are being held to impossible standards.

Then we dive into reports that MySpace is making a comeback. Can nostalgia actually compete with today's algorithm-driven social media, or have our online habits changed for good?

Finally, we react to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's comments about employees caring more about salary than mission, and whether that's an unrealistic expectation in today's AI talent war.

Plus, we share an update on Howard University's decision to readmit more than 200 students following last week's controversy.

In this episode:

• OpenAI creator backlash
• Black creators & AI
• MySpace's return
• Anthropic's hiring comments
• Howard University update
• AI, startups, entrepreneurship & business news

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Rich Takes is the weekly mini-episode brought to you by Rich Lessons, a podcast for entrepreneurs, founders, creators, and the ambitious looking for practical insights at the intersection of business, technology, finance, lifestyle, and culture.

Connect & Subscribe:
Enjoying these quick takes? Don’t forget to follow/subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, leave a 5-star review!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-lessons/id1787798124

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richlessonspodcast

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Are bonnets appropriate in class? In this mini-episode of Rich Takes, we break down Tuskegee University’s controversial new dress code banning bonnets, durags, and slippers. Plus, we discuss why Amazon is on track to hit $1 trillion in revenue and how Jeff Bezos built a brand that spans every generation and background.

We also cover the viral financial aid situation at Howard University and dive into the differences between how men and women invest wealth.

In this episode, we break down:

• Tuskegee’s Campus Dress Code: No bonnets, no durags, no slippers. Is it professional mental prep or over-policing?
• Amazon’s $1 Trillion Revenue Target: Why Amazon crosses every demographic and economic line like no other company.
• Howard University’s Freshman Crisis: What really happened with 500+ disenrolled students and scholarship funding gaps?
• Women in Wealth & Venture Capital: Do women invest for philanthropy while men chase trillion-dollar status?

📌 Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Welcome to Rich Takes
• 00:43 – Howard University Disenrolls 500+ Freshmen
• 04:58 – Tuskegee Bans Bonnets & Durags: Campus Dress Codes
• 11:26 – How Women vs. Men Invest Money & Philanthropy
• 14:38 – Amazon’s Path to $1 Trillion in Revenue

Connect & Subscribe:
Enjoying these quick takes? Don’t forget to follow/subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, leave a 5-star review, and tune in next month when Rich Lessons returns from summer hiatus!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-lessons/id1787798124

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richlessonspodcast

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On this week’s Rich Lessons mini-segment, we break down the explosive business and cultural headlines shaking up tech, finance, and entertainment.

First, the shocking fallout at Uncle Nearest Whiskey: founders Fawn Weaver and Keith Weaver have been formally terminated by the court-appointed receiver amidst deep financial turmoil and ongoing federal investigations. What does this mean for the future of the massive Black-owned spirits empire?

Next, Bill Gates’ daughter, Phoebe Gates, is making headlines as her AI shopping startup, Phia, faces serious "cookie stuffing" and digital attribution fraud accusations from Bloomberg. We discuss the tech, the privilege, and whether early-stage VCs fail at baseline due diligence.

Plus, Warren Buffett alters his $140 billion estate plan—officially cutting ties with the Gates Foundation to route his wealth through family foundations. Is it true philanthropy or a systemic wealth transfer trick?

Finally, we recap the absolute chaos and historic highs of Jay-Z’s 3-night Yankee Stadium concert series, from the security nightmares to Rihanna and Eminem’s surprise appearances, and why Saturday night fans are demanding justice.

Subscribe to Rich Lessons on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-lessons/id1787798124
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40jGSUvVrMbxKcJ1ghE8kl?si=9666ca84559c4e16
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richlessonspodcast

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